X

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

Continue with Facebook Continue with email

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

Debbie Reynolds Biography

Birth Name:Mary Frances Reynolds

Birth Place:El Paso, Texas, United States

Profession Actress, Soundtrack

Fast Facts

  • Worked with the Thalians Club, a non-profit focused with helping both children and adults who suffer from mental illness, from 1955 to 2011
  • In 2011 she was honored as the Grand Marshal at the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival
  • Won the Miss Burbank beauty pageant while in high school at 16, landing her a contract with Warner Brothers Studios
  • Quote: "I only had a radio growing up, I didn't even have a TV! So I loved going to the movie theater․ I always have liked musicals because everyone’s happy and dancing and having a good time․ There weren’t any big problems․ I always had a thing for a fairytale ending․"
  • Also appeared as a cabaret singer in Las Vegas during the height of her movie fame and later made her Broadway debut in 1973 with Irene
  • Regularly appeared in musical films throughout the 1950s which subsequently launched an illustrious singing and acting career
  • Making her debut in singing, she released the song "Aba Daba Honeymoon," which became a top-three hit in 1951 and was featured in "Two Weeks with Love․"
  • Made an appearance on the 1998 series "Will & Grace," in which she came in humming a bit of "Good Morning," a main song from her musical "Singin' in the Rain․"
  • A self-professed movie fanatic, she once owned a collection of more than 4,000 costumes, posters and autographs from various films throughout the 20th Century
  • Known for her public feud with Elizabeth Taylor after her then-husband Eddie Fisher left her for his new co-star

Awards

  • 1951Golden Globe-Most Promising Newcomer: nominated
  • 1952Gold Medal-Most Popular Female Star: nominated
  • 1956NBR Award-Best Supporting Actress: winner
  • 1957Golden Globe-Best Actress - Comedy or Musical: nominated
  • 1958Golden Laurel-Top Female Comedy Performance: nominated
  • 1959Golden Laurel-Top Female Comedy Performance: nominated
  • 1960Golden Laurel-Top Female Musical Performance: nominated
  • 1960Golden Laurel-Top Female Comedy Performance: nominated
  • 1962Golden Laurel-Top Female Comedy Performance: nominated
  • 1963Golden Laurel-Top Female Comedy Performance: nominated
  • 1965Oscar-Best Actress in a Leading Role: nominated
  • 1965Golden Globe-Best Actress - Comedy or Musical: nominated
  • 1965Golden Laurel-Musical Performance, Female: nominated
  • 1966Golden Laurel-Musical Performance, Female: nominated
  • 1968Golden Laurel-Female Comedy Performance: nominated
  • 1970Golden Globe-Best TV Actress - Comedy or Musical: nominated
  • 1997Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical: nominated
  • 1997OFTA Film Award-Best Actress: nominated
  • 1997OFTA Television Award-Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series: nominated
  • 1997OFTA Film Award-Best Comedy/Musical Actress: nominated
  • 1997Golden Satellite Award-Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical: winner
  • 1998Blockbuster Entertainment Award-Favorite Supporting Actress - Comedy: nominated
  • 1999OFTA Television Award-Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2000Daytime Emmy-Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special: nominated
  • 2000OFTA Television Award-Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2000Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2001Video Premiere Award-Best Supporting Actress: nominated
  • 2006OFTA Television Award-Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2006TV Guide Award-Editor's Choice: winner
  • 2013Gold Derby TV Award-TV Movie/Mini Supporting Actress: nominated